Saving Energy, Money, and the Climate This Holiday Season!

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“The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful…” Or is it? As we prepare for the holidays and cooler temperatures in most of North America, our tendency is to “turn up the thermometer” to make sure our homes are “warm and delightful” places to be…However turning up the thermostat often comes back to “bite us” in the form of high energy bills and can have a direct negative correlation to our impact on our environment as well.

So, grab the kids in your life and show them this cool graphic that Energy Star has just released. Show your kids how our use of energy impacts our environment and can contribute to climate change. At the same time Energy Star offers us some great tips for helping us save on heating this winter too! For the younger set, show them how the Lorax is working with Energy Star to help protect the climate! Join the Energy Star team and get some great ideas on ways your family can save energy and help the planet at the same time.

Did you know that the average American home uses 12,800 kWh of electricity in a year, or the equivalent of about 25,500 pounds of carbon dioxide? If even 1 in 10 homes in the US switched to heating and cooling equipment certified by Energy Star, this could reduce emissions in the US by 13 BILLION pounds, or the equivalent of taking 1.2 million cars off the road. These are really significant numbers with really powerful impacts; something that each of our families can be a part of influencing. So, when you kids ask them how they can “make a difference” in our fight against climate change, let Energy Star give you some real concrete ideas how each of us can help.

As we celebrate the holidays this year and consider our New Years resolutions, talk to the kids in your life about Climate Change and how each of us and our families CAN make a difference. At the same time, we know that we need changes to take place not just in our homes but at all levels including in our communities, State, businesses and at the national and international levels too. Help your kids feel good about the fact that they can be part of the solution and then keep reminding them and showing them how we can all help encourage our political, spiritual, community and business leaders to join us in solutions too. Check out our current campaigns and let us know what you and your kids are working on so we can share your ideas with others too.

Make sure to visit the EPA’s Energy Star program often for tips, ideas and family plans on how we can all make a difference in our battle to slow down, adapt and mitigate climate change!

Yours,

Climate Mama